PLAB exam guide for Indian doctors

PLAB is the test Indian MBBS graduates take to register with the UK's General Medical Council (GMC) and work as doctors in the NHS. Here's the route, with 2026 fees from the GMC.

Step by step

1. English: IELTS (Academic) with 7.5 overall and at least 7.0 in each part, valid for 2 years (GMC), or OET Medicine at the GMC's grade (grade B in all four sub-tests, per RCS England).
2. PLAB 1: 180 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours. It's held in India at Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi (GMC). From February 2027 the GMC is dropping Chennai and moving to three sittings a year (GMC announcement, 20 May 2026).
3. PLAB 2: a 16-station practical exam (OSCE), taken in the UK. You need a visa to travel for it.
4. Verify your degree through EPIC (run by ECFMG), which the GMC uses to confirm your MBBS with your university (GMC).
5. Apply for full registration with a licence to practise. You need a completed internship, and the GMC must approve your application within 2 years of passing PLAB 2 (GMC PLAB guide; registration guide).
6. Find an NHS job and apply for a Health and Care Worker visa with your employer's sponsorship.

GMC fees (from 1 April 2026)

Source: GMC fees for doctors. IELTS/OET, EPIC, travel and visa costs are extra.

NHS pay

Doctors in training are paid on the national resident-doctor scale; see the 2026 pay circular (NHS Employers). For comparison, Band 5 (newly qualified nurses and allied health staff) is £32,073 to £39,043 a year from 1 April 2026 (NHS Employers).

Common questions